You all start out knowing magic. We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires, and comets inside us. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls. We get it churched out, spanked out, washed out, and combed out. Told to act our age. . And you know why we were told that? Because the people doing the telling were afraid of our wildness and youth, and because the magic we knew made them ashamed and sad of what they'd allowed to wither in themselves. A Boy's Life, Robert R. McCammon

Monday, April 25, 2011

this is a brilliant little survey i found on a parenting website. i thought i'd take it. tell me if you think there's something wrong with me.

do you. . .

have trouble sleeping?

with a baby who is just catching on to 8-hours of sleep at night, a 2-year old who coughs all night long, and a 4-year old who thinks it's very adult-like of her to come to my side of the bed at 2 a.m. to tell me she lost her special blanket. . yes, i have trouble sleeping.

feel exhausted most of the time?

only when i sit down. i try not to do that.

have less of an appetite?

seeing as how i don't sit down much, granola bars, apples, and bananas make up my diet during the day. so yes. that would be less of an appetite.

worry about little things that never used to bother you?

like will miss poopy shorts poop in her underwear again today? yes. that never bothered me before i had kids.

wonder whether you'll ever have time to yourself again?

who has time to wonder about this? if i get to sit on the potty for more than 2 minutes, i win. double points if i'm by myself. triple points if the door is shut.

think your children would be better off without you?

well, now, i know this isn't true. since i hear 'mama!' approximately 85 times a day, i'm pretty sure they would shrivel up to nothingness without me.

worry your partner will get tired of you feeling this way?

my partner is just glad everyone is alive. maybe not well, but definitely alive.

snap at your partner and children frequently?

WHAT KIND OF A STUPID QUESTION IS THIS??

think other moms are better mothers than you are?

only if they're showered & have on mascara.

cry over small things?

like at the Publix commercials? yes.

no longer enjoy the things you used to enjoy?

you mean like reading a good book til 2 a.m., journaling, writing real letters to friends, running every day, watching girly movies? nope.

isolate yourself from your friends and neighbors?

well. . it's not on purpose.

fear leaving the house or being alone?

i only fear leaving the house because someone might actually recognize me in my grey sweat pants, gross t-shirt, & un-showered hair. as for being alone, i have no fear. none.

things that confuse me

folks that wear sunglasses in pictures

jogging strollers

valentine's day

walmart renovations

coffee-haters

miniature horses

farmville

twitter

chewing gum

twisty ties

think about it. .

"we are not built for the mountains and the dawns and aesthetic affinities, those are for moments of inspiration, that is all. we are built for the valley, for the ordinary stuff we are in, and that is where we have to prove our mettle."